Jacie Hoyt and Cowgirls Picked to Win Big 12, Projected 5 Seed in NCAA Tournament

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STILLWATER — Coach Jacie Hoyt has spent the offseason claiming she has her best team ever, which hasn’t created many headlines because everyone agrees with her due to the sheer talent on the Cowgirl roster this season.

On Wednesday, the team got further validation of that fact when Big 12 Media picked the Cowgirls as the cream of the crop in the conference.

Make it unanimous.

No. 1️⃣ in the Big 12 Preseason Media Poll to go alongside our No. 1️⃣ ranking in the Big 12 Coaches’ Poll 🤠

📝 https://t.co/MyNombPhsl

🎟️ https://t.co/IvmylNcqs1 https://t.co/QZlHDbfUnK

— OSU Cowgirl Basketball (@OSUWBB) October 28, 2026

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that ESPN projected Oklahoma State to enter the NCAA Tournament as a 5 seed, which would be the Cowgirls’ highest seed since receiving the same seed in the 2014 tournament. That also happens to be the program’s most recent Sweet 16 appearance.

In reality, while that would be a big milestone, the No. 1 portal class in the country, self-dubbed as a Super Team, likely has higher aspirations.

Three quick takeaways from the ESPN prediction:

1. The Cowgirls will have plenty of chances to prove themselves

Oklahoma State plays 18 games against teams predicted to make the NCAA Tournament or come close to it. Six of those come against teams seeded sixth or higher.

On one hand, that’s life in the Big 12, but Hoyt has set her team up with plenty of chances to put itself on a path for a top four seed in the nonconference portion of the schedule as six of those 14 games come against projected tournament teams or near misses.

2. OSU’s ramp-up period runs out quick

The team’s first real test likely comes four games into the season when the Cowgirls travel to projected South Dakota State on Nov. 15. This is exactly the kind of game that has given Hoyt’s previous teams trouble at times, so this should be a good chance to prove these Cowgirls have made the leap.

Later comes a roughly two-week run that includes a neutral site game against Washington (projected 3 seed), at South Carolina (projected top No. 1 seed) and a neutral site Bedlam in OKC (the Sooners project as a 6 seed). Any of those wins should boost the Cowgirls when seeds get handed out.

More importantly, those three games might be OSU’s best chance to prepare for what it’s like to play tough competition in a neutral (or outright hostile) setting. The Cowgirls have plenty of big conference games coming, but for players familiar with the Big 12 those might feel a little more routine than these three.

3. Oklahoma State’s projected path

The exact groupings always feel a bit silly until February starts, but just for fun, let’s see who matches up with the Cowgirls in this hypothetical bracket.

OSU faces 12 seed Murray State in the first round at Kentucky. The Cowgirls would then face the winner of 4 seed Kentucky and 13 seed Miami (Ohio).

The Cowgirls’ most likely Sweet 16 opponent would be No. 1 seed USC in Las Vegas.

Finally, here’s the Cowgirls schedule focused solely on teams ESPN projected (Other games are grouped together in this version):

Nov. 2 vs Southern (16 seed, conference winner)
—(3 games)
Nov. 15 at South Dakota State (12 seed, conference winner)
Nov. 18 vs Saint John’s (Fifth team out)
—(2 games)
Nov. 27 vs Washington at neutral site (3 seed)
—(2 games)
Dec. 6 at South Carolina (Top overall seed, conference winner)
Dec. 12 vs Oklahoma in OKC (6 seed)
—(1 game)
Dec. 20 vs Kansas (9 seed)
Dec. 30 vs Arizona (11 seed)
Jan. 3 vs West Virginia (7 seed)
Jan. 6 vs Colorado (9 seed)
—(1 game)
Jan. 13 vs Kansas (9 seed)
Jan. 16 at BYU (11 seed)
—(2 games)
Jan. 28 vs TCU (5 seed)
—(2 games)
Feb. 7 vs Arizona State (6 seed)
Feb. 10 at Colorado (9 seed)
Feb. 15 vs Kansas State (11 seed)
Feb. 21 at Baylor (7 seed)
Feb. 24 at Texas Tech (Sixth team out)
—(1 game)